New leader named for Durham-based Burt’s Bees

A new vice president and general manager has been named for the Durham-based natural personal care products business Burt’s Bees, a unit of California-based consumer products company The Clorox Co.

Craig Stevenson has been appointed vice president and general manager of Burt’s Bees, which is based in downtown Durham at the American Tobacco campus. He will take over March 1.

Since 2003, Stevenson has worked as the vice president and general manager of Clorox’s professional products division, a $260 million division that serves customers in healthcare, foodservice and janitorial/sanitation businesses in the United States and Canada, according to a news release.

At Burt’s Bees he replaces Nick Vlahos, who has been promoted to senior vice president and chief customer officer. According to the news release, under his leadership, the business launched a new güd brand, and expanded into more than 10 new markets.

Clorox reported its second-quarter net income grew 17 percent to $123 million. Its sales were $1.3 billion, up from $1.22 billion in the same quarter last year. The company said that while it saw 5 percent volume growth in the quarter, sales were up 9 percent – a difference that it said was mostly due to price increases.

Clorox completed the acquisition of Burt’s Bees in 2007. The Durham-based business has about 150 employees at the American Tobacco Campus and 210 in manufacturing and distribution facilities in Morrisville.